fpsyg-11-01659.pdf (301.73 kB)
Vagus nerve stimulation as a gateway to interoception
Version 2 2023-06-07, 08:50
Version 1 2023-06-07, 07:24
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 08:50 authored by Albertyna Paciorek, Paulina SkoraPaulina SkoraThe last two decades have seen a growing interest in the study of interoception. Interoception can be understood as a hierarchical phenomenon, referring to the body-to-brain communication of internal signals, their sensing, encoding, and representation in the brain, influence on other cognitive and affective processes, and their conscious perception. Interoceptive signals have been notoriously challenging to manipulate in experimental settings. Here, we propose that this can be achieved through electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve (either in an invasive or non-invasive fashion). The vagus nerve is the main pathway for conveying information about the internal condition of the body to the brain. Despite its intrinsic involvement in interoception, surprisingly little research in the field has used Vagus Nerve Stimulation to explicitly modulate bodily signals. Here, we review a range of cognitive, affective and clinical research using Vagus Nerve Stimulation, showing that it can be applied to the study of interoception at each level of its hierarchy. This could have considerable implications for our understanding of the interoceptive dimension of cognition and affect in both health and disease, and lead to development of new therapeutic tools.
History
Publication status
- Published
File Version
- Published version
Journal
Frontiers in PsychologyISSN
1664-1078Publisher
Frontiers MediaExternal DOI
Volume
11Page range
1-8Article number
a1659Department affiliated with
- Psychology Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes
Legacy Posted Date
2020-07-03First Open Access (FOA) Date
2020-08-04First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date
2020-07-02Usage metrics
Categories
No categories selectedLicence
Exports
RefWorks
BibTeX
Ref. manager
Endnote
DataCite
NLM
DC